John 17 is unique because the whole chapter is a prayer: it is the longest recorded prayer of Jesus. It is also unique because it is the last chapter in John before Jesus is betrayed, arrested, tortured and crucified.
To hear someone pray honestly and earnestly is a chance to look into their heart and see what they really care about. To hear some pray before just hours before they die is a chance to see what they care about more than anything else in the world.
In this prayer, Jesus starts by praying for the glory of God. That the Father would glorify the Son, showing the world who he is. Then he prays for his disciples, the twelve dudes that he surrounded himself with, to whom he has entrusted the ministry – that they would be protected and empowered for the mission. Then he prays,“not just these who have already believed in me, but also those who have not yet believed but who will believe when my disciples share the word.”
He is praying for all the people to whom the faith will be passed, all the people down through the ages who will believe as the word comes to them. Which means something extraordinary: Jesus is praying for us. “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word.”
The reason we are here today is because these disciples, at the price of their lives, faithfully shared Christ with others who shared the word of Christ with others so that today, almost 2000 years later, the baton would be passed to us. We are in John 17. We are a part of the story.
The reason why we are here today is because the disciples believed that Jesus had given them a mission, a reason for being. They saw themselves as being sent on a mission – to continue the ministry of Christ on earth, to show Jesus to a hurting world. Now that ministry, the ministry of Christ and the apostles, has been entrusted to us. And so Jesus prayed for us. And, we could say, Jesus also prayed for the people who will believe because we share the word – people in your schools who will believe when you share the word.
Notice: Jesus expects two things in this prayer: he expects others to believe; and he expects that his followers throughout history will faithfully show others who he is. In other words he expects that his followers will be courageous, and be willing to say, whatever it takes, whatever the cost.
Lord, thank you for praying for me. Now let me faithfully carry out your mission in my generation. Amen.
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